Turning off the phone

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Madeleine

Madeleine

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We are still getting those hang up dead air calls on our 800 number. They come in at all hours of the day and night. We no longer answer the phone unless it rings more than 3 times.
Tonight I unplug the phone. No more staring at the ceiling from 2am to 6am because once startled out of sleep I can't go back any longer.
Looking forward to a full nights sleep!
 
Good for you! Sweet Dreams... this was the one good thing we started doing last year. This year we hope to claim lunch!
 
Do you get a lot of bookings through the 800 number? We had an 800 number because the little hotel across the road had one. Then year two we kept getting wrong numbers and they'd repeat our number back to us so it was all messed up. I looked back through bookings and kept a record for one month. Mostly wrong numbers and calls asking questions as though we were the local tourist info center came into the 800 number. With 'annoyed' people on the other line if I didn't want to chat and chat. Sorry, but I could not do this and it was on my dime. Most of our bookings came online. I took a deep breath and I decided to DROP the 800 number and never looked back.
 
Good for you!
Get rid of the 800. We got rid of ours years ago and don't regret it for a moment.
 
It is not the 800 number. I recently talked to a "regular person" (meaning not an innkeeper and no 800) and they get those calls also.
 
seashanty said:
Do you get a lot of bookings through the 800 number? We had an 800 number because the little hotel across the road had one. Then year two we kept getting wrong numbers and they'd repeat our number back to us so it was all messed up. I looked back through bookings and kept a record for one month. Mostly wrong numbers and calls asking questions as though we were the local tourist info center came into the 800 number. With 'annoyed' people on the other line if I didn't want to chat and chat. Sorry, but I could not do this and it was on my dime. Most of our bookings came online. I took a deep breath and I decided to DROP the 800 number and never looked back..
Click to expand...
Not a clue if they are using the 800# or calling the local number to make reservations. But we've had it for 28 years, kind of hard to just drop it.
Am removing it slowly but surely but it's taking time.
Maybe by next year I will have everyone trained to call the local number!
 
gillumhouse said:
It is not the 800 number. I recently talked to a "regular person" (meaning not an innkeeper and no 800) and they get those calls also..
Click to expand...
We tracked it for a month. It's the 800# here. Dozens of calls every week. We wrote every dead air phone number down and then checked our bill.
Never the same number twice.
PITA because we're paying for the calls and the callers are making money if we answer.
 
Madeleine said:
gillumhouse said:
It is not the 800 number. I recently talked to a "regular person" (meaning not an innkeeper and no 800) and they get those calls also..
Click to expand...
We tracked it for a month. It's the 800# here. Dozens of calls every week. We wrote every dead air phone number down and then checked our bill.
Never the same number twice.
PITA because we're paying for the calls and the callers are making money if we answer.
.
Click to expand...
I would say it is time to get rid of the 800 number.
 
Hubby turns the ringer off every night. And he doesn't answer until the third ring.
 
EmptyNest said:
Madeleine said:
gillumhouse said:
It is not the 800 number. I recently talked to a "regular person" (meaning not an innkeeper and no 800) and they get those calls also..
Click to expand...
We tracked it for a month. It's the 800# here. Dozens of calls every week. We wrote every dead air phone number down and then checked our bill.
Never the same number twice.
PITA because we're paying for the calls and the callers are making money if we answer.
.
Click to expand...
I would say it is time to get rid of the 800 number.
.
Click to expand...
EmptyNest said:
I would say it is time to get rid of the 800 number.
Click to expand...
Working on it! Removing it from marketing materials first. Encouraging guests to use the local number but afraid anyone who gets the ' this number is out of service' message will just assume we've closed. As many guests are surprised we're still open 20 years later!
 
I had a call asking for details about a package we have two weeks ago at 2am. West coast? Still would be 11PM at night. Although the number was not west coast. I only said one sentence "It is 2 o'clock in the morning" and hung up. Yes I had to answer it.
Then I stayed awake thinking about the idiot who would call a B&B at 2am...
"INNKEEPING IS NOT FOR WIMPS"
we get very little sleep.
 

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